Table of Content

• What are Before Numbers?
• What are After Numbers?
• What are Between Numbers?
• Difference Between Before, After, and Between
• Visual Representation
• Teaching Before, After, and Between Numbers
• Conclusion

Before	After	Between
A number that comes immediately before another in the number line.	A number that comes immediately after another in the number line.	Numbers that lie between two given numbers on the number line.
Example: On the number line, 3 comes before 5.	Example: On the number line, 7 comes after 4.	Example: 5 is between 3 and 7 on the number line, as ( 3 < 5 < 7 ).

Visual Representation

Consider a number line:

For the number 0:

• Number before 0 is -1.
• Number after 0 is 1.
• Numbers between -1 and 1 is 0.

Teaching Before, After, and Between Numbers

Teaching Before, After, and Between Numbers to kids is very important for better understanding of maths. Various strategies used for teaching then are:

Use of Number Lines

• Visual Aids: Draw a number line with numbers marked clearly.
• Activities: Ask students to draw lines to indicate numbers before, after, and between specific numbers.

Storytelling and Real-life Scenarios

• Story Problems: Create simple stories involving characters and objects that require identifying before, after, and between numbers. For example, “If there are 3 mangoes and Rohan eats one, how many are left?” (introducing the concept of ‘before’).
• Daily Life Examples: Use examples from daily life or your daily routine, such as “What comes after lunch?” or “Which house is between 100 and 103”

Interactive Games

• Number Sequencing Games: Create games where students arrange numbers in the correct order.
• Flashcards: Use flashcards to quiz students which number comes before or after a given number.
• Classroom Games: Play games like “Number Bingo” where students need to identify the numbers before, after, or between numbers called out.
• Online Games: Visit educational websites and apps that show​ interactive games focused on these concepts.

Worksheets and Practice

• Sequential Worksheets: Provide worksheets with number sequences where students fill in the blanks for numbers that come before, after, or between.
• Number Charts: Use number charts (1-100) to visually clear the concepts by having students highlight or circle numbers.

Group Activities

Number Line Activity

• Materials: A large number line on the floor or the board.
• Activity: Place students in small groups.Give each group a set of number cards. Ask one group to place their cards on the number line. Have other groups identify the numbers that come before, after, or between the numbers placed on the line.

Number Card Relay

• Materials: Number cards (1-20 or higher).
• Activity: Divide the class into teams. Scatter the number cards at one end of the room. The first student from each team runs to pick a card and brings it back. The next student runs and picks the number that comes before, after, or between (depending on the teacher’s call) the number that was previously picked.

Number Puzzles

• Materials: Puzzle pieces with numbers and their corresponding positions.
• Activity: Create puzzle pieces where one piece has a number and another piece has the words “before,” “after,” or “between.”Students work in groups to match the puzzle pieces correctly.

Teaching “Before” Numbers

• Introduce the Concept: Explain that “before” means the number that comes immediately ahead of another number in counting.
• Example: If the number is 8, the number before 8 is 7.
• Practice: Use number lines and ask questions like, “What is before 9” and provide various examples.

Teaching “After” Numbers

• Introduce the Concept: Explain that “after” means the number that comes immediately following another number in counting.
• Example: If the number is 7, the number after 7 is 8.
• Practice: Use number lines and ask questions like, “What is after 6” and provide various examples.

Teaching “Between” Numbers

• Introduce the Concept: Explain that “between” refers to numbers that lie in the middle of two other numbers on the number line.
• Example: The numbers between 4 and 7 are 5 and 6.
• Practice: Use number lines and ask questions like, “What numbers are between 5 and 8” and provide various examples.

Conclusion

Understanding “before,” “after,” and “between” numbers is a building block for more complex mathematical concepts. Using a variety of teaching methods—visual aids, hands-on activities, storytelling, worksheets, and interactive games—can make learning these concepts engaging and effective for students.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you determine the number that comes before another number?

To determine the number that comes before another number, you can subtract one (for consecutive integers). For example, the number before 10 is 9.

How do you determine the number that comes after another number?

To determine the number that comes after another number, you can add one (for consecutive integers). For example, the number after 10 is 11.

How do you find the numbers between two given numbers?

To find the numbers between two given numbers, identify all numbers that lie in the range defined by the two numbers, excluding the endpoints if necessary. For example, between 3 and 7 are the numbers 4, 5, and 6.

How is “between” used in inequalities?

“Between” in inequalities is used to define a range. For example, if ( a < x < b ), ( x ) is between ( a ) and ( b ).